Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has asked the United States to provide him with security protection while he attends the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with the State Department agreeing to the request following a threat assessment, according to reports Tuesday.
The unusual arrangement means that personnel from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service will provide additional protection for one of Iran’s most senior officials while he is on American soil. The request was first reported by Axios reporter Barak Ravid and subsequently confirmed in additional reports.
According to a State Department letter dated September 18 and addressed to Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Tehran formally requested protective security assistance for Araghchi. U.S. officials then conducted an assessment of potential threats against the Iranian foreign minister before approving the request.
The security request comes amid intense tensions between Washington and Tehran and as senior officials from both countries converge on New York for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.
Araghchi arrived in New York on Monday evening at the head of a senior Iranian diplomatic delegation. His visit marks his first trip to the United States since the outbreak of the current U.S.-Iran conflict. He was received at John F. Kennedy International Airport by representatives of Iran’s mission to the United Nations.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also traveling to New York for the 81st session of the General Assembly and is expected to address the gathering and hold a series of meetings with foreign leaders.
The Trump administration approved visas for both Pezeshkian and Araghchi, along with other members of Iran’s core delegation, allowing them to attend the UN meetings. The Iranian officials are nevertheless subject to restrictions on their movement while in New York, as well as limitations imposed by Washington on certain purchases.
The decision to provide Araghchi with American security personnel highlights the unusual circumstances surrounding the UN gathering: the United States is providing protection to a senior representative of a government with which it is currently engaged in a bitter confrontation.
The Diplomatic Security Service, which operates under the State Department, is responsible for protecting visiting foreign dignitaries and conducting threat assessments connected to diplomatic activity in the United States. In Araghchi’s case, officials determined that additional protection was warranted after reviewing potential threats, according to the reports.
Araghchi, meanwhile, has already used his arrival in New York to sharply criticize both the United States and Israel. Speaking to reporters Monday night, he said Iran’s principal objective at the General Assembly would be to defend what Tehran views as the rights and interests of the Iranian people.
Iranian officials have indicated that Araghchi will hold a series of meetings with foreign ministers and other officials on the sidelines of the General Assembly. Pezeshkian is likewise scheduled for bilateral meetings during his stay.
Despite the presence of senior American and Iranian officials in New York at the same time, no meeting between Pezeshkian and President Donald Trump is currently planned. Iran has nevertheless signaled that its delegation has authority to engage in diplomatic efforts while in New York as tensions between the two countries remain extraordinarily high.
The spectacle is an unusual one: Araghchi arrived in the United States representing a government locked in a major confrontation with Washington, while at the same time relying on American diplomatic security officers to help ensure his safety during his stay in New York.
{Matzav.com}